OTTAWA — Saskatchewan premier Brad Wall stuck his neck out for Sen. Pamela Wallin on Sunday, saying that she’s a “clear” and “regular presence” in the province even as he admits that the details of her travel expenses need to be resolved and says it’s time for Canadians to weigh in on Senate reform.

The Senate is auditing hundreds of thousands of dollars the Conservative Senator has claimed in travel expenses over the past few years. Wallin has faced scrutiny over more than $300,000 in travel expenses claimed since September 2010.

An audit has also been ordered to review the housing allowance claims of Conservative Sen. Mike Duffy, Liberal Sen. Mac Harb, and Sen. Patrick Brazeau, who was booted from the Conservative caucus and put on leave following his arrest on assault and sexual assault charges.

Wallin, a former broadcast journalist and diplomat, has also been accused by the NDP of billing taxpayers for flights that may have been used for partisan political purposes. Wallin claimed expenses of $26,000 worth of “other travel” between March 1 and May 31, 2011, a period that included the six-week federal election campaign.

On Sunday, Wall told CTV’s Question Period that Wallin “is a clear presence, and a regular presence in Saskatchewan.”

“Senator Wallin is in Saskatchewan, not just in and around her home of Wadena but in the capital and in Saskatoon at various functions, so, I don’t know about the details of expenses, that needs to be resolved, but she has a presence here for sure,” Wall said.

He also said it may be time for Canadians to “weigh in” on what they want to see in terms of Senate reform. The West, he said, has wanted a Triple-E Senate – an equal, elected and effective Senate. But the provincial governments may be providing the “best elements” of the Senate already, he said.

“Are the provinces, and the duly elected governments in those provinces actually providing that Triple-E Senate, frankly, actually providing that check and balance against the House of Commons?”

“That’s not all the Senate is to be about. It’s also to be about regional representation, but…the provinces are doing that as well. I think Canadians are ready for a discussion.”